Years after it was first proposed, permission to start a major Isle of Wight housing development has finally been granted.

The West Acre Park development on the edge of Ryde can now go ahead after one of the last formalities was granted.

It means those opposing the development, Save Westridge Farm, can now officially launch a legal challenge and hopes to raise thousand more pounds to do so.

While the decision was made in April to let the development happen, the Isle of Wight Council's planning officers needed to finalise legal agreements before the authority could officially issue the planning permission, which it did earlier this month.

Now for developers, Captiva Homes, the clock is ticking and it has within three years to start the scheme or permission will expire.

Before spades can get in the ground, there are final conditions and details that would need to be approved by the council including construction access, public footpaths and mitigation and enhancement plans, as well as the development phases.

Overall, there are 32 conditions Captiva Homes must comply with throughout the course of the development to ensure it is delivered in a way the council approves.

There have been many twists in the saga of West Acre Park since it was first unveiled in July 2020, on the then working dairy farm, Westridge Farm.

Permission was first granted for the scheme in 2021 but an issue raised by Natural England about a protected habitat for curlews saw the matter back before the council's planning committee earlier this year, where it was again approved.

Campaign group against the development, Save Westridge Farm, confirmed on its website it was still seeking a judicial review as it believes the council made 'errors' in the planning process and says it could not allow the authority to 'get away with a huge miscarriage of justice'.

The group has had to wait for planning permission to be officially issued before it can request a judicial review and has had lawyers preparing a case to be raised at the High Court.

Now consent has been granted, the campaigners need to achieve a fundraising goal to launch the review.

It says it needs to add another £14,000 to its cash fund in 31 days to take the review forward, having already raised more than £25,000 since it was started in September 2021.

Captiva Homes has been contacted for comment.